Former ATP star slams Carlos Alcaraz’s critics: ‘Don’t seem to want to leave him alone’
Carlos Alcaraz’s critics have been warned that the Spaniard is still “destined” to become a sporting great by former ATP Tour ace Nicolas Almagro.
World No 2 Alcaraz turned 22 earlier this month and already has an impressive haul of 19 titles to his name, including four Grand Slam singles titles.
The Spaniard also became the youngest-ever ATP world No 1 in September 2022, holding the top ranking for 36 weeks across his career.
An inconsistent start to the season saw Alcaraz face criticism for being unable to string together a consistent run of results, though he has since embarked on a strong clay season.
The Spaniard won his first Monte Carlo Masters title and then reached the final of the Barcelona Open, later winning a maiden Italian Open title after his Madrid Open withdrawal.
However, the 22-year-old has faced further criticism following the release of the documentary ‘Carlos Alcaraz: My Way’ on Netflix.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was criticised by some, including fellow Spanish player Roberto Bautista Agut, after sharing that he had partied “hard” in Ibiza after his 2023 French Open exit.
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However, Alcaraz has now found a welcome voice of defence in the form of Almagro, who won 13 ATP Tour titles and reached world No 9 before his retirement in 2019.
Speaking to Punto de Break, Almagro instructed Alcaraz’s critics to hold “normal” expectations of the world No 2, and claimed that his compatriot could become one of the greatest players in history.
“What worries me is that there are people who can get away with criticising a kid who is destined to become one of the best athletes this country has ever produced,” said Almagro.
“Everyone is giving their opinion on his life and doesn’t seem to want to leave him alone. You’re free to express an opinion. But if you had to pay taxes to give an opinion, a lot of people wouldn’t.
“You know what happens? We think it’s normal to win four Grand Slams and X Master 1000 tournaments at the age of 20. We think it’s normal. But it’s not.
“What is normal is that at 20, you can have a bad day and lose a match in Miami. It’s up to us to see the dimension that a player like Carlitos has.
“Carlitos’ dimension is infinite, that he has a lot to learn. Yes, he has a lot to learn. We all agree on that.
“He has an optimal team working to help him become one of the best in history. For me, the fact that he lost one, two, three, seven, 10 matches that he didn’t have to lose doesn’t concern me.”
Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in straight sets to claim his seventh Masters 1000 title at the Italian Open on Sunday, and arguably heads into the French Open as the favourite for the title.
The 22-year-old will hope to successfully defend his title at Roland Garros, having beaten Alexander Zverev in a five-set final twelve months.
After action in Paris, Alcaraz will also look to win Wimbledon for a third straight season, having beaten Novak Djokovic in both the 2023 and 2024 finals at the All England Club.
